A Time to Pray (3)

Come, Holy Spirit

Two years ago, on Pentecost Sunday, we emerged and returned to in person worship following what seemed like a long time away from gathering for worship. It felt like the right time to come back to worship because Pentecost is such a historic and symbolic day for the church. It is the birthday of the church, as it is when the movement of Christ followers - this small little band of individuals began to expand and become what it has grown to be. So, happy birthday, church!

I want to read this morning, as we often do on Pentecost Sunday, from Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2:1–21 NIV

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

And so, the church was born - later in the chapter, we are told that this little band of people added 3,000 to their number that day. It wasn’t a program, or planning, or outreach plan that brought people in that day. It was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Christ’s followers that brought people to a point of decision.

I want to talk to you this morning from the heart. Honestly, I struggled with today’s message. In fact, the passage we just read from Acts is not where I initially intended to preach from today. Several months ago, the USA/Canada region of the Church of the Nazarene began to let us know about a prayer emphasis that was planned from May 1st through Pentecost Sunday. We have been participating in that emphasis, and I hope you have been praying. And, of course, I have been preaching on prayer over these weeks as well.

I wonder - would there be anybody here this morning that would like to share some things that God has been saying to you as you have spent this extra time and effort to pray?

I know that there are thousands of other Nazarenes around the US & Canada that have joined in the effort. We are praying for the Church of the Nazarene around the country. There are 6 regions around the world in the Church of the Nazarene, of which USA/Canada is one. Unfortunately, it was shared with us yesterday that our region is the only region in the world that is shrinking. Our leadership has asked us to pray for a revitalization and revival in our region. Prayer is the key because reaching the people outside our walls is more a matter of God working and moving within us and through us than it is about us coming up with better methods.

In fact, even in the days that led up to the Day of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the church, the focus of those early Christ followers was on prayer! It wasn’t planning and preparation - it was prayer that paved the way for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:12–14 NIV

12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

This is the very moment of the birth of the church - until this time, the good news was located in one place among one people group on earth. They all spoke the same language - they were a small group of individuals brought together to follow and learn from one man. But all of that was going to change moving forward. The languages that were spoken that day represented the outward movement of this band of followers into a world of diversity.

But before the Holy Spirit came upon the early followers of Jesus, before they became the church, before they made an impact on the world around them, before the world was changed, before they were able to speak in other languages so that everybody present could understand them, Luke tells us that they all joined together constantly in prayer!

Prayer - as we have been talking about over the past 6 weeks is the key to the birth of the church, and I believe it is the key to the church becoming once again what God designs for us to be. In many ways, the world is a more complicated place than it was on that day of the church’s birth, that is true. But if we just get discouraged as we sometimes are wont to do, and think that there is no hope, we are sorely underestimating the God that we serve! I believe that God, once again wants to pour out His Holy Spirit on His people in mighty revival - but it is only going to happen if the people of God are willing to join together in prayer - and then obediently go out into the world and tell the story of what God has done for us!

It probably will not look like it did on that first Day of Pentecost. That day confused the masses that gathered so much that they thought the disciples were drunk. They weren’t the people that you would have planned to use to change the world. If you or I were choosing, we would have chosen people that were natural leaders or people who had power in themselves, but God chose people that were the unexpected.

He still chooses the unexpected - people like us, to take the good news of Jesus to our world. The disciples had gathered together and they prayed as if everything depended on God. That is our task as well - If we want God to work in our church and in our nation, it starts with us turning to our Lord in prayer. But when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they emerged to tell the world what God had done in them. That is our responsibility as well - we are to go into all the world - that means wherever we encounter people - we are to tell them the story of what God has done in us. Yes, we pray as if everything depends on God, and then we go out and work like everything depends on us.

The Communion Supper, instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It shows forth the Lord’s death until His return.

The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ. All those who are truly repentant, forsaking their sins, and believing in Christ for salvation are invited to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ. We come to the table that we may be renewed in life and salvation and be made one by the Spirit.

In unity with the Church, we confess our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And so we pray:

Holy God,

We gather at this, your table, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who by your Spirit was anointed to preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, set at liberty those who are oppressed. Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry, ate with sinners, and established the new covenant for forgiveness of sins. We live in the hope of His coming again. On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Likewise, when the supper was over, He took the cup, gave thanks, gave it to His disciples, and said: “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.” Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Matthew 26:27–29, Luke 22:19) And so, we gather as the Body of Christ to offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these your gifts. Make them by the power of your Spirit to be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ, redeemed by His blood. By your Spirit make us one in Christ, one with each other, and one in the ministry of Christ to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen. And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, let us pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Before the partaking of the bread, let the minister say: The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful. Before the partaking of the cup, let the minister say: The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.